The Boss

There was an important job on hand. I had passed some instructions to my men to take care of it. I was sure of their competence. Therefore I did not worry much. Moreover it was a holiday and I was not very willing to be present personally at the work spot. Lo, my telephone rang and it was my boss's boss. I was wondering what would be the command. He ordered me to proceed to the spot and make sure that things wouldn't fail and report from that spot. I was trying to explain the steps I had taken. He immediately quipped 'did you inspect the work your self.' I said that my men are competent and it is their regular routine. He returned the observation that it is exactly the reason that I should inspect and report back as too much of complacence may result in failure and this occasion is not the one to take a chance. I kept saying to myself why he did not order his officer immediately between us to check up the job for its satisfactory execution. Was the boss having a feeling that his immediate subordinate may excuse himself or was he having a negative ideas about him or was it comradeship with him not to trouble him each and every time, or was it his strategy of management. I told him that I place full confidence with my men, the same way as he placed in me. Immediately he took the tone of the boss and told me to carry out the orders or else.......... I had to obey for the sake of keeping my job.

Let me describe that environment a bit.

Level A Thoroughly basic muscle oriented worker
Level B Promoters from level A to guide the raw.
Level C Supervisors with good knowledge of work
Level D Managers
Level E Middle Level
Level F Policy Makers
Level G Super Boss
I was at Level E and the direction to me was from Level G. I had arranged the execution of work deploying Level C worker, who had put the level A worker on the job by doing away with the level B one.

After a while the entire episode came up in my mind and it occurred to me that I was also dealing with an employee not immediately subordinate to me, but there was an intermediate worker. I laughed at myself and concluded that important works are got done by "level jumping".

It is interesting to note that the line of affiliations can be
Level F->D->B

One stage below worker is likely to feel elated that the super boss is giving him responsibility and it requires to be executed diligently. It is also required in most of the establishments that you know the ranks two stages below for the reason that he may get promotion and move to immediate stage and you have to know him in advance. There is a system that in reporting assessment immediate boss writes his impressions and the next boss has a say in agreeing/disagreeing and/or adding further points.

After all, the boss has to get the things done in a best possible manner to keep his job also as Andrew A.Rooney said his essay "The 'work' Ethic: "When you work for a boss you don't like, it is good idea to remember that he has a boss, too. He is apt to get fired as you are. And so is his boss."